Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-10

unity will be effective for great good or evil. Emissaries from sects here come to Turkish
 lands and by their wrangl1ngs paralyze the power of the truth. He closed with fer- vent plea for unity in America for the sake of missions abroad.
 A letter was read from Prof. George F.
 Fisher of Yale Theological seminary regret ting that he could net be present and saying that this council is just what committee, of which he is chairman, was appointed at the last Congregational council held at Chicago to secure.
 The venerable Phillip Schaff, D. D., was next introduced as one who was the father of the Alliance and has been one of the most active workers for it's ends. He spoke at considerable length.
 Josiah L. Strong, D. D., secretary of the AL liance, who said: There is reason for serious apprehension, notwithstanding the wealth, numbers and intelligence of our church mem bers. There must be a better understanding and more cooperation to meet the rising tide of peril. The higher the form of life the greater the need of organic cooperation. This is the grand secret of our material prog ress If we let the material outgrow the spiritual there is disease. To prevent this is the object of the gathering and our plan was made after wide consideration with the most representative men in our de- nominations. We hope to secure co opera ton; first, in the study of sociological and industrial problems and in the application of Christian principles to their solution; second, in reaching our entire population with the gospel, and third, in accomplishing needed reforms and in defending cherished Ameri- can institutions. The conflict between capi- talists and laborers, not between capital and labor, shows that our industrial system has not been vitalized by Christian principles. President Seelye says that in the first three centuries the idea of God was central; during the third, fourth and fifth the leading thought was man, and next came the idea of the union of God and man or that of salva- tion through Christ. Then followed eff forts for human brotherhood and these have been growing since the Reformation. We have attended mainly to the material so far, but now higher work calls us. Let the leading Christian men of each community meet to study and plan practical work; such, for example, as securing the selection and circulation of the right sort of reading to take the place of that which is misleading, and also canvassing definite districts to take account of stock. We have much unutilized power-idle1s in the market place whom no man has hired. There are enough to reach all those who do not go to church. Our ac- counts of stock should also include the men, women and children who are to be labored with and should show no denominational preferences. Assign about ten fami- lies to each visitor on all aver age, holding preliminary meetings of the workers for both stimulus and direction. The canvass will bring to light many former church members who have not joined and do not attend any church. Such method will probably work better in towns of not more than fifty thousand inhabitants, though in Philadelphia something similar has been suc- cessful. If one in ten of our members will give half day once month to such work the gospel can be carried into the home of every non-church goer twelve times year. If. people of culture have the spirit of Christ they be led into such work and if have not they are not wanted. Some may resent visitation, but not so much as to embarrass the work. Such work will enable ministers to do much for which their culture especially fits them, but which they have to omit because they are obliged to do what their church members could do better. It is the stimulus needed at every point in the body of Christ. These local alliances should form themselves into State alliances which can plan aggressive work in destitute rural localities. There can be no doubt that the ten or twelve millions of church members in this country could if united in aim and method accomplish any moral reform within the limits of possibility. Christian sentiment is not organized and cannot therefore get it's due weight upon public questions such as the Ultramontane attack upon the public schools, and the attempt 10 perVerb puDIlc ScnoOls to support the sectarian schools. Or. Strong closed with an earnest plea in favor of making everything center in work of saving not our civil institutions merely, but the soul for which Christ died.
 Frank Russell, D. D., followed in paper on "Co-operation in small cities" and gave an interesting account of the work of Christian cooperation in -Oswego. The next address was by Rev. A. F. Schauffler, D. B., of New York, who has for fifteen years labored in the part of that city from which the churches have moved. After stating several reasons why other schemes of cooperation were not practicable he said the city mission society had fixed upon the plan of forming undenominational churches in the neglected districts. Daniel Graham, D. D., of Phila- delphia, then gave an interesting account of the great success of prayerful efforts to pro- mote cooperation among the 1,300, 900 open communion Baptist sections of various names scattered all over this country, and especially in the West and South. Remarks were also made by Thomas McMulIen and Rev. Sam Small. Before the adjournment President Dodge said the special object of the closing session this evening would be to secure a baptism of the holy spirit, which alone will make effort for cooperation in religious work anything more than dead and mechani- cal.